British police call railway sabotage attempts ‘Brexit-related’

British Transport Police are investigating two incidents of “devices” left on railway tracks in Cambridgeshire and Nottinghamshire. Police fear the objects were intended to cause disruptions, and could be related to Brexit.

“This was a serious and deliberate attempt by someone to cause significant sabotage and disruption to Britain’s rail network,” Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan from the British Transport Police said in a statement on Tuesday.

The devices were discovered near Yaxley, Cambridgeshire on March 21, and at Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, on March 27.

O’Callaghan did not elaborate on what kind of “devices” his officers found on the tracks, but said that they were intended “only to delay services and not cause damage to the infrastructure.”

As for a motive, O’Callaghan said he believes the incident somehow “relates to Britain’s exit from the European Union,” but did not provide further information.

A BBC reporter said that the objects were home-made short-circuit devices, intended to fool signals into thinking the tracks were occupied by a train. A note attached to one device reportedly read “Leave means leave,” and included a threat to “bring this country to its knees” if Brexit doesn’t go ahead.

The investigation comes days after a pro-Brexit protester climbed atop London’s St. Pancras station, causing the cancelation of eight Eurostar services across the Channel Tunnel. Clad in a St. George’s flag, the protester told police he was angry at Theresa May’s government for “f*cking up” Brexit. He was charged with causing a public nuisance on Monday.

His protest took place on March 29, the day Britain was supposed to leave the EU.